About Jewel Caraway

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Starting an online blog is a simple way to help connect with readers and generate some additional income for yourself each month. With more and more bloggers choosing to use their sites as money-making ventures, legal matters are playing a more prominent role in site design. Here are three simple tweaks that you can make to your existing blog to ensure that it is legally protected in the future. 1. Add a copyright statement to your blog. Personal blogs are filled with intellectual property that you have created in order to help attract and retain readers. The last thing you want is to have someone steal your content or graphics and use them to create a competing blog. You should take the time to add a simple copyright statement that lets blog visitors know you are the sole owner of all content on your site and outlines the terms of use you are willing to allow. A copyright statement can ensure that you have legal standing to seek damages should someone start using any of the information published on your blog without your permission. 2. Always include a disclosure statement on sponsored posts. Working with a specific brand to review one of their products or services can be a great way to add content to your blog. If you are receiving compensation in exchange for your write-up (whether in the form of free product or money), you need to let you readers know that you were paid to write the blog post. A simple disclosure statement incorporated into the footer of your sponsored posts will protect you against potential legal problems in the future. If you have older posts that were sponsored, you should retroactively add a disclosure statement to these posts to ensure maximum legal protection. 3. Build a library of stock photos to incorporate in your posts. You don’t want anyone stealing original content or graphics from your blog, so you shouldn’t steal photos from other sources to incorporate into your own blog posts. If you don’t have the ability to generate original photography to accompany your blog posts, you should build a library of stock photos to rely on instead. Stock photos are images for which the photographer has given full-use rights to the public. You can feature these photos on your blog without worrying about potential copyright lawsuits being filed against you in the future. With a few simple tweaks, you can protect your blog from experiencing legal problems in the future. Contact a lawyer, like AMS Law Group, for...

Divorce is hardly ever an easy going experience that two people sail right through without flared tempers, disagreements, and someone feeling cheated. However, if your spouse is particularly filled with venom and bitter about the situation, there are a lot of ways they may try to make the whole ordeal even worse than it already is. While their dirty tricks will likely make things harder on the both of you, if you can catch on in time, you can keep yourself protected from becoming an outright victim. Here are a few dirty divorce tactics your spouse may use that you should be alert to during the divorce process. Your spouse is the sole provider, but they move out and leave you with all the bills. If your soon-to-be ex spouse is trying to get you to agree to certain divorce settlement components, they may try to starve you out so you have no choice but to go along with what they are asking. It is not at all uncommon for them to do this by moving out and taking all financial resources with them. If your spouse has put you in this position, do your best to move beyond the threat and avoid compromising what you believe is fair with the settlement—even if it means you have to temporarily move in with a relative or friend. Your spouse drains the bank account and doesn’t tell you. Out of fear of having to split whatever money you hold in joint accounts, your spouse may try to completely drain joint accounts without even telling you. If they do,you could be dealing with the embarrassment if declined debits and bounced checks. If you discover this is taking place, talk to your divorce attorney to find out if there is anything that can be done to retain rights to your part of the money even though your spouse moved it. Your spouse starts making odd purchases out of the blue just before the divorce is final. If your spouse is expecting to pay some form of alimony or spousal support, they may try to hide some of their money by investing it in things the judge will likely not notice. For example, if you notice a brand new piece of expensive artwork, furniture, or memorabilia, it could be your spouse’s way of hiding finances until the divorce is over. These types of items are easily sold after all is said and done so they can keep their money without it being a factor in determining alimony or spousal support amounts. For more information or assistance, contact a divorce...

While many people know what a bail bond is, chances are that they have never looked into them before. It’s not until you need to post bail but don’t have the proper funds that you start doing your research. When you don’t have the cash to post bail yourself, a bail bond is the answer. These are some common questions about the process. What Do You Need Before You Talk to a Bondsman? If someone is in jail that you need to bail out, the process is not as simple as going down to a local bondsman and asking for the money. You’ll need the official bail amount and booking number so that all information can be verified regarding their charges. It will also help to be confident with the bondsman about how the defendant will show up for their court date. If they feel like the person will not show up based on your interactions, you may not get the bail money that you need. How Much Will a Bail Bond Cost? A bail bond is typically a percentage of what the total bail amount is, usually around 10%–15%. Each state has their own rules regarding the limits to how high a bail bond can be, so be sure you check the local laws to know what the most you can expect will be. Once you pay the fee to your local bondsman, they will pay for the bail bonds so that your loved one can be released from jail. What Happens When Bail Is Jumped? Bail jumping is when the person released from bail doesn’t honor their commitment to return for their court date. If the person you bailed out decides to leave town, this can put you on the hook for co-signing for their bail. You will be responsible for any associated costs by the bondsman for bringing the person back to court, which typically involves hiring a bounty hunter. If the bounty hunter is unable to track down your loved one, then the bondman may lose the entire bail amount that they paid. You would then be responsible for repaying that money back to the bondsman. As you can imagine, you are taking a huge risk by bailing somebody out of jail with money you do not have. Only take the risks for people you are certain will return for their court date. A local bondsman such as A Bail Now Bail Bonds, Inc. can answer any other questions you may...

If you had an accident with another vehicle, you will most likely check on the damage sustained as well as exchange insurance information with the other party involved. If you believe the incident occurred due to the negligence of the other motorist, there are some steps you should take to protect yourself should they try to flip the blame for the occurrence on you in order to get compensation. Here are some tips you can use immediately after getting into an accident with another vehicle to protect yourself in case the other driver tries to falsify information to benefit themselves. Get Checked Over by a Medical Professional If the incident did not require you to take an ambulance to the hospital, you should still go to your regular physician immediately following the incident to have a thorough examination done. Many people find themselves in a state of shock after the impact of an accident, and this causes them not to feel pain as adrenaline kicks in. They will then find out later they have sustained an injury that needs treatment. Your doctor will provide detailed documentation at your request specifying the extent of your injuries. This can be used in a court of law should the other motorist try to press charges against you. The injuries sustained may show they could have only been caused if your vehicle was struck in a specific way and prove you were not the one who caused the accident. Alert Authorities About the Situation It is best to call the local police to let them know about the accident that occurred. They will provide traffic control help to keep other motorists safe on the roadway if necessary. They will also write up a report about their findings when they have arrived on the scene. Let the other motorist know you have made a call to the police. This will most likely help keep them on the scene rather than take a risk in driving away. If they do try to leave, take a photograph of their license plate to give to the authorities upon their arrival. Gather Witnesses and Surveillance Information If there were others in the area when your accident occurred, ask them for their names and phone numbers before they leave. If you need to go to court to fight an accident suit, they will be able to give a synopsis of what they saw leading up to the accident. Check with local businesses and homes near the scene of the occurrence to see whether they have video surveillance pointing toward the roadway. Your attorney will also check with road officials to see whether there are traffic cameras in the area that may have retained footage to evaluate. Talk to a law firm such as Swartz & Swartz P.C. for more...

Writing a will is often a complicated task, but it is especially so when you own one or more businesses that will contribute to your estate. Here are some tips to simplify the will writing process as a business owner. Consider What Will Happen to the Business First, consider what would happen to your business should you pass away. If you are the sole owner, would you want the business to pass onto one of your dependents, or would you want to have the assets liquidated and included as part of your estate? Whichever your choose can have big implications for how you write your will. Understand Your Business Responsibilities Even if you decide to liquidate the business, consult an accountant about how that process would actually work. You might have several tax amounts owed as well as debts to pay before the liquidated assets go into your estate. Make Sure Your Business is On Track Be sure that your business is headed in a financially sound direction before you include it in your will. You wouldn’t want to leave the family business to a dependent, only to discover it’s not worth anything or, worse, that you’re leaving a huge liability on someone else’s plate. Hire a Lawyer The laws surrounding your business and your will can be difficult to navigate. This is really the case when you have several business partners; it can be difficult to extricate your share of the assets from a business that will continue to exist after your departure. A lawyer can help you learn what you can and can’t do when including your business assets in a will. It can also be difficult to imagine how many assets your business will include, especially since you don’t know what kinds of debts and profits that you’ll have in the future. A lawyer or accountant can help you do some financial planning so that you know what to expect when splitting your business assets. If the situation is fairly complicated with your business, hiring legal services with estate planning experience may be your best option. Your lawyer’s fees may leave a small dent in your estate’s assets, but the alternative could mean that your estate doesn’t get carried out as you intended at all. The expense is sometimes worth it to have the assurance that the assets you’ve worked for will be used as you plan. Talk to an attorney like Gregory J Hermiller for more advice on how to include your business in your...

When you are involved in a car accident, you may be injured or injure someone else as well as incur expensive damage to your car. In the aftermath, you may have to fight it out legally with insurance companies and the other party involved. Obviously, avoiding accidents altogether is your best strategy. Although there are never any perfect times to drive, you can reduce your chances of an accident by choosing your driving times wisely. Rush Hour According to statistics, the hours between 5pm and 7pm are the most dangerous times to drive. Of course, most people have to work, and many jobs require hitting the road during that period. Since approximately 13 people are killed on the road each day at those times in the US, avoiding rush hour is always advisable. Obviously, not everyone has that option. You will be safer if you can begin work later and avoid the madness of the late afternoon commute. Summer Vacation For your teenagers, the deadliest days for driving fall between Memorial Day and Labor Day, coinciding with summer vacation. Monitoring your teen during these days can be extraordinarily difficult, but you do need to limit their time on the road and discourage the number of passengers they take along. Talk to them about distracted driving and do not be afraid to take away the keys if their driving is careless. Holidays Holiday driving is also extremely dangerous, particularly Memorial Day, New Year’s Day, and Thanksgiving. Every year hundreds of driving fatalities occur on these days, often involving alcohol. If at all possible, you should avoid traveling the highway on these days. Consider choosing an alternative day to celebrate with relatives who live hours away. You can get together the week before or after the actual holiday, helping to keep your family safe. You will also be less stressed and better able to enjoy your time visiting if you don’t have to worry about the packed roads that are awaiting your trip home. If you are involved in an accident, you may well need the help of a good car accident lawyer and the aid of your insurance agent. Both of these professionals will tell you to take precautions so that you do not need their services after a crash. Often, your driving is not the problem. You do have to watch out for all the other people on the road,...

No one deserves to be discriminated against due to their ethnicity or national origin, especially in one’s place of employment. Luckily, the federal legal system has certain policies that prevent employers from discriminating against you due to these factors, and those who do not comply with these policies can be punished. You may have a few questions about discrimination in the work place, this brief guide will aim to answer just a few of them. If you believe that you are being discriminated against in your place of employment due to your race or national origin, it is highly recommended that you speak to a local and trusted attorney who specializes in discrimination law. Can An Employer End Harassment By Third Parties? In a roundabout way, yes. In fact, your employer has a legal obligation to curb such behavior. While your employer has no way of directly reprimanding any customers or vendors that the business you work for has to deal with, they can make provisions towards ensuring that an individual is reprimanded. A customer can be disallowed from a place of business if he or she has been shown to be racially insensitive to employees, while an employer has an obligation to contact the employer of a vendor if that person has shown him- or herself to be racist. Is Making Work Assignments Based On Race Discrimination? Yes, it is, and yes, it is illegal. This process, known as “steering” often times occurs in the field of sales, where, for example, African American representatives are often sent to do business in areas with a large African American population. Any race-based assignments are considered discriminatory and are not in compliance with the letter of the law. This can engender harmful stereotypes and places power in the hands of an out of touch employer who believes that he or she knows what is best for his or her company. Sadly, what he or she knows best is a series of outdated racial relations. Can “Jokes” Be Considered Harassment? When a “joke” is told wherein a racial stereotype is perpetuated or race is used as punchline, this is considered a form of harassment and is also illegal. Sometimes, sadly, the onus of the joke telling activity may fall upon the victim of the joke. It is imperative that you tell the person perpetuating the joke that you find the jokes unfunny, insensitive, and potentially racist, so that person will have a difficult time arguing that you were somehow “in” on the joke. Contact a business, such as Law Office of Faye Riva Cohen, P.C., for more information....

Criminal cases that are presented in television dramas have little to do with the average criminal cases that most people may come across in their lives. For example, if you are sued as a cook for causing one of your patrons to get food poisoning, you cannot afford nor do you need a high-priced, celebrity attorney. On the other hand, you do need to understand the options at your disposal. An understanding of at least a few legal terms can help you intelligently participate with your lawyer in preparing your case. Plea One of the first things you will need to decide is how you will plead in your case. This will often depend on the facts that the opposing attorney can use to prove your guilt. If there is a strong case against you, and you plead not guilty, your efforts to maintain your innocence can come across as a lack of remorse. Thus, if you are in fact guilty of a crime, pleading guilty may help you to receive a lesser punishment than what otherwise may be handed down. There are other options bedsides guilty and not guilty; you should discuss all of your options with your lawyer, such as no contest or a plea bargain. Mens Rea Another key term in criminal law is mens rea, which is Latin for guilty mind. Let’s say that you accidentally caused a patron to get food poisoning, but you had no idea that you were doing so. In some states, you cannot be convicted of a crime unless you meant to commit the crime. Thus, proving your state of mind will be key in building your defense. Diligence If you took every reasonable step to prevent a crime but ended up hurting other people anyway, your punishment will likely be less than if you omitted steps. For example, if you failed to come to a full stop and look both ways at a stop sign before pulling into traffic and slamming into another car, you failed to perform your due diligence as a driver and are guilty of, at the least, reckless driving. Proving that you did your due diligence will help you in building a case of not guilty. While a legal dictionary could have tens of thousands of terms, these few terms will help the average person to contend with the type of cases that could be leveled against them. On the other hand, rather than feel like you are now fully prepared to mount your own legal defense, you should always work with a knowledgeable attorney from a law firm like Abom & Kutulakis LLP to prepare the best defense...

All it takes is a series of unfortunate events to make you consider bankruptcy. Losing your job, being hospitalized, or even a divorce can leave you without much money and many bills to pay. It is true that bankruptcy can be a very effective way to eliminate all your debts, but you want to avoid making some mistakes along the way. In particular, these are 3 mistakes that can be made when you file for bankruptcy. Not Listing Every Creditor When filling out the initial paperwork for a bankruptcy filing, you’ll need to list every creditor that you have, which includes the amount owed and the kind of debt that it is. Only those accounts listed on the paperwork are eligible to be discharged when the bankruptcy process is finished. If you do not list a creditor, it could be detrimental to you in a few ways. For starters, creditors are notified once you make the list. When they receive their notifications, they must cease communication with you for the purpose of collecting your debt. Creditors that are not notified can continue contacting you. Those debts that are not listed will also not be discharged, making you still accountable for paying them even after your bankruptcy filing is successful. Acquiring Any New Debt After you decide to go down the path of filing for bankruptcy, taking on any new debt is not an option. This includes making big purchases or opening new lines of credit. If it is found out that you are doing these things while filing for bankruptcy, it can be argued that you only did it so that your old debts would not be repaid. The bankruptcy court may decide that you must repay old debts because of this. Hiding Some of Your Assets Bankruptcy under Chapter 7 proceedings requires that all your assets be documented, which includes personal property and real estate. This is because the courts can make you liquidate property that is non-exempt. If you decide not to disclose an asset so that it is not liquidated, your bankruptcy could be dismissed. It’s not worth the risk when large assets can easily be discovered, so be sure to list all assets when filing. If you want to make sure that you don’t make a mistake when filing for bankruptcy, work with a bankruptcy lawyer like John D Rouse in your area. They can walk you through the entire process to make sure that you are doing everything...

More than 50 million people have used prescription medication for a non-medical reason at least once in their life. This epidemic has significantly expanded over the years, causing somewhat of a strain on the legal system. The response has been harsher penalties for people who aren’t just selling drugs, but are also in possession of them due to an addiction problem. Unfortunately, regardless of the intent of use for the drug, these types of charges come with the potential for harsh punishment. What Constitutes Possession? In simple terms, any time you are in possession of a prescribed medication that you do not personally have a prescription for, you can be charged with possession. Many people are shocked to discover that there is no minimum amount of drugs you must be in possession of to be charged. If you have been caught with even a single pill, you face the same judgement as someone who has been caught with more pills. In the eyes of the law, any person in possession of a high-level prescription not intended for them is violating the law. What’s At Stake? If you are arrested and convicted of having a medication that is not your own, costly fines are just the start. A conviction of this magnitude also comes with jail time. However, more importantly, this type of charge can affect your entire life. Drug charges at any level can prevent you from securing certain types of financial aid for higher education and can even prevent you from securing certain types of employment. When Addiction Is The Problem Every person who is in possession of a controlled substance isn’t a hardened criminal or drug dealer. For a number of people, they are dealing with a serious addiction and in need of help. They don’t just need to be tossed in jail. If you’re in this boat, this is where an attorney becomes critically important. In this case, an attorney won’t try to argue that you didn’t commit the crime, but instead argue the fact that you need help for your addiction. Instead of a conviction, an attorney can help move toward a more positive outcome. An attorney can help ensure you receive the treatment you need to move forward with your life, positively, instead of just ending up behind bars and not having your real need met. If you’re dealing with addiction and have also been charged with possession, you haven’t reached the end of your road. Let an attorney help you move past this situation and move forward with your life. Contact a professional such as Alejandro Rivera PA – A Law Firm to learn...

Being charged with driving under the influence (DUI) is very serious and should not be taken lightly. The consequences of a DUI conviction can be severe and disrupt your life for a long time. Therefore, after an arrest for DUI, it is in your best interest to hire an experienced DUI attorney as soon as possible. There are many good reasons to retain the services of a DUI attorney, such as the following: Understanding DUI Laws Most states have complex DUI laws, and if you’re not in the legal field you most likely don’t understand all of the details of the DUI laws in the state where you live. A DUI lawyer knows all of the details of DUI laws in your state, so he or she will know how the laws affect your case. Limit the Consequences A DUI conviction comes with a long list of possible consequences, such as large fines, loss of driving privileges, court-ordered drunk driving awareness classes, and jail time. If you have a DUI attorney representing you, there is a chance that he or she may be able to get the charges dropped or build a defense that results in you not being found guilty. In the event that there is not enough evidence to prevent a conviction, your attorney will be able to work with the prosecutor to negotiate a plea deal with the most favorable terms possible. If have been convicted of a DUI in the past, it is essential to have a lawyer. In many states, repeat DUI offenders can be sentenced to considerable time in jail or even prison. Investing in the services of a DUI attorney may help limit the amount of time that you have to spend behind bars. Experience in a Courtroom When you have been charged with a DUI, having an attorney who is experienced in the courtroom is a serious advantage. He or she will understand how court cases proceed and will be comfortable addressing the judge and presenting information. If a favorable plea deal for your DUI charge can’t be reached and your case goes to trial, you will want to have someone on your side who knows how to build a defense and present it to the judge and jury. Assistance with Paperwork There are a number of documents and forms that have to be completed after a DUI arrest. If you have retained the services of an attorney, he or she will assist you in ensuring that all of the proper forms are filled out and submitted to the right department at the court. For more information, talk with a DUI attorney, such as those at Tekulve Law,...

About Me

My name is Jewel, and welcome to my site! I started it to help people find out more about family law and divorce attorneys after my own experience. I have to tell you--getting a divorce is never pleasant, but sometimes it's the only option. I won't go into details, but in my old marriage I just had to get me and my kids out. But the legal stuff was a pain to deal with. Not to say it wasn't worth it, but it was definitely hard to navigate. Divorce papers, the custody battle--if you don't have a guide and a good lawyer, it is so difficult. So the purpose of this site is to help you work the system. Good luck making a better life for yourself!